LAS VEGAS — Solid group of games on tap tonight, with 11 on the schedule.
And there are some interesting storylines with many of these matchups, including a Stanley Cup rematch from a few years back with Colorado and Tampa Bay, an Eastern Conference showdown between Washington and Florida, a potential Stanley Cup preview with Dallas and Carolina, and a Central Division collision between Winnipeg and Minnesota.
I’ll be looking to right the ship after the Toronto Maple Leafs failed to cover the puck line against the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday.
Of the 11 games on the card, I want to talk about the total in of the aforementioned games, as I’m intrigued by the Capitals’ visit to Sunrise, Florida.
Let’s do a deep dive into this one:
WHY CAPITALS: Washington has lost two straight since losing Alex Ovechkin to a fractured fibula and at some point has to figure out what to do without its leader. The Capitals may be arriving in Sunrise at the right moment, as they can take full advantage of a struggling Florida team that is mired in a three-game slide. And dating back to Nov. 12, the defending Stanley Cup champs have lost five of six. With Logan Thompson playing as well as he’s played, this is a great opportunity to steal one from the Panthers.
WHY PANTHERS: We all know Florida isn’t as bad as this 1-5 skid, right? The Panthers are much more like the team that opened the season 11-3-1 and ranked fifth in the league in averaging 3.80 goals per game. Even past the skid, Florida still ranks tied for sixth in goals per game (3.48) and sits eighth in power-play percentage (23.1%). Losing doesn’t last forever, and the Panthers know how to flip the script.
All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
THE PICK: OVER 6, -110 — I’m looking for a high-scoring game tonight, as I think both squads will be firing at a much higher rate by sending pucks rapid-fire to the crease. Florida (30.0) ranks 13th and Washington (28.7) ranks 18th with shots on goal per game, but we could see season highs from both teams tonight, as they’ll both be eager to snap their losing skids. The Panthers will have Spencer Knight in net, while Thompson is between the pipes for Washington. As good as Thompson has been through the quarter-pole, he is 1-1 in two career starts against Florida with a 3.50 goals-against average and .903 save percentage. Knight has been in net twice against the Capitals, and while he might be 1-0, he also has a 5.59 goals-against average and .861 SV% against them. Look for a high-scoring game tonight.
(Season Record: 5-6-0, Net: -$135, based on $100 units)
